Yovanny Cruz's Outlook Is Crystal Clear Following Yankees Demotion

The New York Yankees optioned the flame-thrower Yovanny Cruz to the minors, and finally give some insight into why they did it.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Yovanny Cruz (96) reacts after getting taken out of the game in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yovanny Cruz being optioned to Triple-A was a head-scratcher. Even coming off of a night where the New York Yankees generated 20 swings-and-misses out of their bullpen, that felt like an outlier more than anything, and Cruz should still be up with the big club.

If it's about impressing the higher-ups in the organization, Cruz has done it at both levels. His last audition in the big leagues was solid.

In two innings of work against the Tigers, Cruz was one of the lone bright spots for the Yankees that series. He faced six batters, struck out three, and didn't allow a walk or a hit. When batters did make contact, they had an average exit velocity of 79.8 MPH.

4.1 innings is a short sample size, but in those few big league innings, he hasn't let up a run or a walk and has struck out six. Cruz's numbers in the minors certainly play out as those of a player who should be here as well.

A pair of strikeouts for Yovanny Cruz in his MLB debut 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cOlVNrpBKM

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) May 21, 2026

In 28.1 innings pitched, he has a 3.18 ERA. His underlying numbers in the minors look good, too. Batters have a .192 expected batting average and .303 expected slugging off of him, according to Prospect Savant.

What the Yankees think of Cruz

Before the Yankees snapped their losing streak against the Minnesota Twins — because who else could be a slump buster for this org — Boone was asked about Cruz. While he was mostly positive, when you read between the lines, there are a few things that he wasn't too keen on, and he's probably speaking for more than just him.

"I think it's just more continuing to be more getting more and more consistent with the strike throwing," manager Aaron Boone said about Cruz, when asked about him by The Athletic's Chris Kirschner. "The splitter, which we saw the other night, is kind of a new thing for him, so we want him to continue to get that going, because if he's got that splitter going and the strike throwing going, then it gets really exciting, but you know, there's been some consistency stuff in Triple A."

The strike throwing, as Boone put it, is supposed to be one flaw in Cruz's game. He has a tiny sample size in the big leagues this year, but, as far as the minors go, there's enough data there to show that his ability to throw strikes should be adequate for him to stay in the big leagues.

So far, Cruz has 37 strikeouts and 11 walks. When you dig deeper than that, you will find that Cruz has a 30.6% strike rate, a 38.7% whiff rate, and 65.2% of the pitches he has thrown have been strikes. Not to mention, his command has been pretty solid, too, with a 9.1% walk rate, which is in the 65th percentile in Triple-A this season according to Prospect Savant.

As for that splitter, Cruz has only used it 3.9% of the time in the minors. It doesn't make much sense that it's this much of a roadblock for him to stay up in the big leagues. Somehow, that splitter is the reason he can't make it to the big leagues, and yet, Jake Bird, whose sinker gets hit around, seems to give up a run every other time he takes the mound.

What all of this means for Cruz

It does feel like the Yankees have little use for Cruz as an option out of the bullpen. They can say whatever they want about being encouraged, but their actions don't match their words. It doesn't matter if the likes of Bird and Camilo Doval continue to disappoint in the entirety of their time in New York. The organization would rather back them.

This all feels like the 2026 version of Hoy Park. Park was an infielder in the Yankees' minor league system who caught fire in 2021. The big league offense was scuffling all year and needed an infusion of lefties. Park was a lefty who hit .327/.475/.491 with a 179 wRC+ in 223 Triple-A plate appearances. He had a cup of coffee before being sent down and was traded for Clay Holmes that year.

New York Yankees second baseman Hoy Park fields a ground ball during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | USA TODAY Sports

It could just be that the Yankees are intent on trading Cruz at one point, and they want to protect his value by having him dominate lesser competition. At this point, it's the only explanation for why he isn't an option, and yet, Bird seems to have unlimited run.